Competition Preview: 1st CISM Half Marathon World Championships
The 1st CISM Half Marathon World Championships, taking place from October 27th to October 30th, 2023, as part of the SwissCityMarathon-Lucerne, promise to be a successful premiere with over 40 participating nations from 5 different continents.
The half marathon distance is flourishing, attracting numerous runners. Due to the reduced recovery time, it provides marathon runners with a wonderful opportunity to complete a half marathon while still participating in a significant city marathon.
The Swiss CISM delegation will be represented at the CISM Half Marathon World Championships with both a men's and women's team, including orienteering athlete Paula Gross and marathon runner Adrian Lehmann, both benefiting from the top sport promotion vessels of the Swiss Armed Forces. Lehmann, who set a personal best in mid-April at the Zurich Marathon in 2:11:44 hours, which puts him in fifth place in the perpetual Swiss best list, was selected for a marathon world championship for the first time this year.
Men's Team:
Adrian Lehmann, Marcel Berni, Armin Flückiger, and Janis Gächter
Women's Team:
Seraina Ummel, Paula Gross, and Tanja Forster
The 1st CISM Half Marathon World Championships also impress with a first-class field of participants, including the reigning Marathon European
Champion from Poland, Aleksandra Lisowska, the German marathon runner and Olympic participant Hendrik Pfeiffer, as well as strong athletes from Bahrain.
The SwissCityMarathon – Lucerne course is known for its cheerful atmosphere along the beautifully situated route. It leads through the soccer stadium and the KKL Luzern Concert Hall, along the lakeside, and through the narrow streets of Lucerne's old town. The accurately measured and internationally recognized course in Lucerne promises a fast and thrilling race from the start. With the high-caliber field of participants, one can expect new course records in both the men's and women's categories.